| Summary : The site of Royal Air Force Holmpton or Patrington Ground Controlled Interception radar station. Constructed between 1951 and 1954 it was part of the Rotor programme to modernise the United Kingdom's radar defences. It was a replacement for the Second World War GCI station at Patrington (see HOB UID 915111). In 1989 it became an underground bunker housing the National Wartime Command Centre for RAF Support Command.The station was fitted with two Type 13 Mark 6 and one Type 13 Mark 7 height finder radar heads, three Type 14 Mark 8 and one Type 14 Mark 9 plan positioning radar heads, all mounted on plinths and 25 feet gantries, and Type 54 radar on a 200 feet tower. The site was equipped with a guardhouse designed to resemble a bungalow, which gave access to a two-storey, underground R3 operations bunker. Type 7 radar with an underground equipment well was built at a remote site, along with a Type 79 IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) and a substation. Type 80 radar was installed at the site by 1958. This replaced the remote Type 7 radar, although it was initially retained as back up. The station was upgraded in 1961 and incorporated the functions of a centimetric early warning station. It briefly operated as a Master Radar Station and continued to operate as a radar station until 1974. It was then used as a training facility for radar engineers. The site was refitted and reopened in 1989, becoming a National Wartime Command Centre for RAF Support Command. This saw the removal of the old radar buildings and a refurbishment of the underground facility. This closed in 1992. From 1991 until 1995 it was in use as training centre for the RAF Police & RAF Regiment, after which it became an experimental Operations Centre for the new UK AIR Command & Control System.The site underwent maintenance in 2001, and in 2003 it reopened as the Defence Archive Unit, which includes a public exhibition. |
More information : (TA 3681 2296) 'Rotor' Radar station.
This site, situated in a bunker to the south of Holmpton, was a part of the short lived system of Rotor Radar Stations. This was an integrated command and control system which was in use until the late 1950's. The `Rotor' period (circa 1951) Ground Control Intercept (GCI) radar station was responsible for the control of fighter aircraft, allocating vectors to permit interceptions of unidentified radar plots. The site was originally equipped with five height finding type 13 radar scanners mounted on four radar plinths and a 25 ft gantry, two type 14 radar scanners mounted on radar plinths and one type 54 Chain Holme Extra Low (CHEL) scanner on a 200 ft steel tower. Circa 1960, this equipment was replaced by a single AMES type 80 radar scanner mounted on a steel gantry over a new brick built modulator building located at the north east corner of the site.
The information from the radar was fed to a large two storey re-enforced concrete underground operations block set centrally in the site. The operations block is entered via a stair shaft located at the rear of the brick built guardhouse adjacent to the main gate. The site is self contained with its own sewage disposal plant.
The site was visited by the Fortress Studies Group during the Holderness Survey in 1992. Although the FSG could not gain internal access to the site they found it to be in very good condition, under little threat and still in use. (1)
The Rotor programme was developed to advance the wartime radar technology in detecting and locating fast-flying jets. It was approved by the Air Council in June 1950. The first stage of the programme, Rotor 1, was to technically restore existing Chain Home, centrimetric early warning, Chain Home Extra Low and Ground Controlled Interception stations and put them under the control of RAF Fighter Command. There were three main components to the Rotor stations: the technical site, including the radars, operation blocks and other installations; the domestic site, where personnel were accommodated; and the stand-by set house, a reserve power supply. The technical site for RAF Patrington was located at TA 367 225. The domestic site was situated at TA 302 212 and the stand-by set house at TA 351 221.
The largest structures built at a GCI Rotor station were the operations blocks. They were constructed of reinforced concrete and designed to withstand 2,000lb bombs. The outer walls and roof of the Rotor operations blocks were 3 metres thick and the internal walls between 0.15 to 0.6 metres wide. The exterior was coated with an asphalt damp course and surrounded by a 0.15 metre brick wall. The roof was usually flush with the ground surface and up to 4.34 metres of earth was mounded on top. The operations blocks, identified by a 'R' prefix, contained technical equipment, domestic facilities, workshops and a plant for air conditioning and gas filtration, all within a single complex. Four of the blocks (R1-R4) were underground constructions designed for the more vulnerable sites on the east and south-east coasts. Others were semi-submerged (R6) or above ground (R5, R7-R11) heavily protected structures built to withstand 1000lb bombs. RAF Patrington was equipped with an R3 operations bunker and an R7 equipment well. (2-4)
Aerial photography from 1995 shows a well-preserved Rotor site with recent additions. Remaining features include the R3 operations block, sewage works, aerial mast buildings and Type 80 modulator building. (5)
RAF Holmpton or Patrington Rotor station replaced an earlier Second World War station at Sunk Island. It was constructed from 1951 to 1954, when it became fully operational. The station was equipped with Type 54 radar on a 200 feet tower and height finder radars. A remote site featured Type 7 Mark 4 radar with its R7 underground machine room, Type 79 IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) and a substation. The remaining radars were located close to the R3 operations block at the technical site. Type 80 radar was installed at the site by 1958. This replaced the remote Type 7 radar, although it was initially retained as back up. The station was upgraded in 1961 and incorporated the functions of a centimetric early warning station. RAF Holmpton briefly became a Master Radar Station and then reported to the UK Air Defence Operations Centre at Bentley Priory. The station remained operational in various roles until 1974, when it was reduced to care and maintenance. Between 1974 and 1984 it was used as a training facility for radar engineers. The site was refitted and reopened in 1989, becoming a National Wartime Command Centre for RAF Support Command. This saw the removal of the old radar buildings and a refurbishment of the underground facility. The facility was short-lived and closed in 1992. Between 1992 and 1995 it was used for specialist training by the RAF Regiment and the RAF Police. In 1995 further work was carried out to use the site as an experimental operations centre which remained active until 2000.
For further detailed descriptions including a number of photograph galleries of buildings above and below ground please refer to these two sources. (6-7)
For information on the public exhibition and Defence Archives Unit, please see this source. (7)
The guardhouse, which is disguised as a typical country cottage, and bunker also still survive. (8)
In 1985, following demolition of the Type 80 building and all radar buildings, RAF Holmpton became the new Wartime HQ for RAF Support Command. From 1991 until 1995 it was in use as training centre for the RAF Police & RAF Regiment, after which it became an experimental Operations Centre for the new UK AIR Command & Control System. The site underwent maintenance in 2001, and in 2003 it reopened as the Defence Archive Unit, which included a public exhibition. Since reopening, a £2 million refurbishment has been carried out. In 2010, RAF Holmpton remains part of the Royal Air Force & the Defence Estate. (9)
Around 1957 to 1958, in addition to the radar heads, there was also an American FPS 6 height-finder. This had the advantage of having a nodding-rate selectable between 20/minute & 30/minute, compared to 6/minute of the Type 13. The delivery of an FPS 3 PPI head was expected in mid 1958 thought it is not sure whether this was completed. (10)
This site, situated in a bunker to the south of Holmpton, was a part of the short lived system of post-war Rotor Radar Stations. This was an integrated command and control system which was in use until the late 1950s. The `Rotor¿ period (circa 1951) Ground Control Intercept (GCI) radar station was responsible for the control of fighter aircraft, allocating vectors to permit interceptions of unidentified radar plots. The site was originally equipped with five height finding type 13 radar scanners mounted on four radar plinths and a 25 ft gantry, two type 14 radar scanners mounted on radar plinths and one type 54 Chain Home Extra Low (CHEL) scanner on a 200 ft steel tower. Circa 1960, this equipment was replaced by a single AMES type 80 radar scanner mounted on a steel gantry over a new brick built modulator building located at the NE corner of the site. The information from the radar was fed to a large two storey re-inforced concrete underground operations block set centrally in the site. The operations block is entered via a stair shaft located at the rear of the brick built guardhouse adjacent to the main gate. The site is self contained with its own sewage disposal plant. Moved into care and maintenance in 2000, it is now being restored and opened to the public. The full site should be restored by 2010. (11)
According to public feedback, two American radars were installed at the site in the mid-1950s. (12) |